The present application relates generally to the field of radiant heating systems. More specifically, the application relates to a radiant heating system and to an improved turbulence creating housing for use in a radiant heating system.
It is well known that, for example, furnaces can be used to heat spaces such as homes. Traditionally, such furnaces were oil furnaces. However, as the demand for oil has risen sharply in the last decade, the price for oil has correspondingly risen sharply, reducing the ability of such furnaces to be economical to a home or business owner. Recently, gas-fired applications that utilize natural gas have been used by homeowners to economically heat their homes. However, similar to oil, natural gas has also seen large price increases in the last couple of years, which has resulted in the reduced economic viability of gas-fired applications.
It is also well known to heat homes or spaces using, for example, electrical baseboards. However, as hydro rates have risen quite sharply recently, and can be expected to rise in the future, these types of devices are also necessarily economically viable. In addition, heating systems such as furnaces can require a large footprint and take up a large amount of space.
In addition, certain types of heating arrangements have utilized internally positioned electrical elements configured to heat coolant by an electrical element. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,408,960 (Woytowich) and 4,770,134 (Foreman et al) are examples of such devices. However, these arrangements feature electrical elements that are internally positioned and firmly set within a tank or chamber such that the electrical elements cannot be easily removed from the pre-heater without complete disassembly or destruction of the heating arrangement. In such configurations, when maintenance or replacement of the electrical elements is required, it is necessary to remove the entire heating unit to access the internal electrical element. Thus, maintenance and replacement of the internally positioned electrical elements for such heating arrangements is difficult and complicated.
A need exists for a radiant heating system that is economical and capable of generating substantial amounts of heat to heat larger spaces, such as in a home or business. In addition, there is a need for a radiant heating system which possesses a minimal footprint. Further there is a need for a radiant heating system which can be utilized in a variety of applications, from heating a home to radiant floor heating. The embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill these needs.